The middle of a heat wave is probably not when you want to be thinking about going outside, but it seems that it will pass in time to enjoy the weekend. Here’s some stuff to consider:

* The new site Grid Chicago has a guide to car-free camping in the Indiana Dunes, which I didn’t know was possible.

* Lynn Becker has a reminder of how great the Lurie Garden is, an underrated part of Millennium Park that’s in full bloom.

* Wicker Park Fest is this weekend.

* Also this weekend: the less-well-known Celebrate Clark Street, which features the excellent Occidental Brothers Dance Band International.

* The event’s not for awhile yet, but tickets go on sale Friday: the Hideout’s annual block party/15th birthday features a great lineup, with Mavis Staples, Andrew Bird, Booker T. Jones (!), Jon Langford, the Eternals, White Mystery, and Big Freedia (who seems to be practically a Chicagoan at this point).

* Coudal Partners‘ always-excellent Fresh Signals feed just went on a Chicago transportation binge, including an epic PDF of Chicago street name explanations (Agatite: still mysterious) and an explanation of how the city’s street naming and numbering came to be.

* And of course, Chicago‘s Midwest lake vacation spots.

Photograph: phvolmer (CC by 2.0)